Safety device for combustible-liquid containers.



W. I. DAVIS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23.1916.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Wilfiavis atto'cwu WILLIAM I. DAVIS, 0F LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR COMBUSTIBLE-LIQUID CONTAINERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21,1918.

Application filed February 23, 1916. Serial No. 80,002.

,To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski. and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Combustible-Liquid Containers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for containers holding combustible fluids and is designed for the pro tection of containers holding inflammable explosive fluids such as naphtha, benzin, gasolene, etc.

It is a well known fact that combustible fluids as those just named contain elements that readily volatilize, and when mixed with certain proportions of air tend to form an explosive mixture that may be readily ignited by an exposed flame, such as a burning match. Such mixtures appear to burn in layers or in a successive manner accompanied by a flame, as the heat of combustion vaporizes the fluid. Therefore, in carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a safety device which will prevent the gas or vapor issuing from the combustible fluid from becoming mixed with the air when filling a tank with such inflammable or combustible fluid, thereby removing the danger incident to filling the container of the fluid.

The invention consists in the interposition of segregated protective screens between the outer air and the contents of the container and these screens each consists of an irregularly tangled mass of resilient refractory filaments, these filaments each having an extremely small cross sectional area and relatively great length. These segregated screens act effectively to prevent the hydrogen gas or vapor in the tank from passing to the outer atmosphere in such quantity as to produce a mixture capable of exploding when brought into contact with a flame or spark.

Each screen is refractory so that the filaments thereof will not burn out upon the application of heat and owing to the filamentous form of the screen the heat is rapidly dissipated, while owing to the resiliency of the filaments and the irregular arrangement thereof in the mass, the filaments are held separated from each other, thereby permitting the easy passage of the fluid through the mass in the filling of the container.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through a combustible fluid container showing my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the safety device.

Fig. 3 is a collective view showing the holders for the sections of the screen.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a tank or container adapted to hold, naphtha, benzin, gasolene or other combustible fluid and provided with a filling opening 2. Threaded into the filling opening 2 is a nipple 3 and depending from the nipple 3 into the tank is a cylinder 4. This cylinder 4 is constructed of any suitable material and secured therein at a point approximately centrally thereof is a ring 5 and bearing against the ring 5 is one edge of a circular shell 6. The other edge of the shell 6 is out on a bias and placed in edge to edge contact with the biased edge of the shell 6 is: thesimilar edge of a circular shell 7. As shown more particularly a crescent shaped element 13 disposed thereon, and its ends form shoulders against which the ends of another crescent shaped element 14 abuts. These shells, when assembled together, cause their biased edges to be angularly disposed to the transverse axis and one of the crescent shaped members is adapted to produce a trap to catch refuse or other debris. As is also shown in Fig. 2 where the two shells are assembled, one of the crescent shaped elements is positioned lower than the other and this angular placing permits the liquid in passing through to drain to the lower portions and onto this element. The shells are prevented from rotating within the cylinder by means of the shoulders just described when the shells are positioned in abutting relation. The remaining edge of the shell 7 abuts against a securing ring 8 disposed within the lower end of the cylinder and suitably fastened therein and the ring 8 cooperates with the ring 5 to hold the shells bottom portion of the cylinder 4. Closing.

the upper end of the shell 6 is a perforated or reticulated disk 9,while closing'th'elower' edge of the shell 7 .isa similardisk-10, while closing the confronting ends of'th e respective shells are screens or foraminous plates 11 preferably, although not necessarily, formed of brass. These screens 11', as'shown in Fig; 2, contact with the crescent shaped elements and are disposedto lie Within their respective shells. Arranged Within each shella'nd confined therein by the wall of the shell andthe disk and screen closing the respective ends of the shell is a protective screen 12 consisting of an irregularly tangled mass of resilient refractory filaments each having an extremely small crosssectionaljarea and a relatively great length.- The screens 12 are formed of a metallic Woolcomposed of copper or brass fiber. Owing to the resiliency and the irregularities of the tangled mass the combustible fluid may be poured into the tank through the screens, While the screens will act to prevent the escape of the hydrogen gas from the tank in suflicient' quantity to'miX with the atmosphere to form a combustible or inflammable mixture.

The shells 6 and 7 when assembled for insertion into the'cylinder 4: may be turned end forend: Thus they are reversible, and as shown in Fig; 3, these shells are alike in construction and formation. When assembled, they form a cylindrical body that enablesth'em to'fit snugly within'the cylinder4', as shown in Fig.2.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood v Copies of this patent" may'be'i obtained for five cents each, by addressing the that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation maybe made within the scope ofthe claims-and Without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A protective device of the" class described, comprising-ia cylinder, shells within said cylinder arranged end to end, screens in said shells respectively each= formed of a resilient mass of metallic wool, said shells being placed end 'to end and having the confronting. ends "thereof cut on a bias, screens closing the confronting ends of said shells and removable therefrom,- reticulated disks closing"the' other ends ofsaidshells and r emovable therefrom, and rings in saidcylin- 'der holding-said shells end to end andcooperating with the confronting ends of said shells to prevent relativeturning movement of the shells Within'the cylinder,

2. A protective device of the class described, comprising a cylinder, a plurality ofshells disposed within the cylinder adaptedto contact with each other, the contacting ends of the shells being substantially wedge-shaped and provided with an element operatingzto prevent the shells from turning, a foraminousplate adjacent the wedgeend, metallic wool filling approximately each shell, and a perforated disk closing each of the other ends of the shell.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 7 Witnesses:

S.- WoLvER"roN,- W. AnWoLvnR'roN;

ffcmmissioner of Patents;

Washington, I G. 

